Streaming services and cord cutting in the classroom can save money

Streaming services for the classroom

What do you think about saving tax-payer dollars by bringing streaming services to the classroom? Cord cutting has been skyrocketing in popularity as recent studies have found cord cutting can save the consumer over $1,000 a year. Now, what about schools? Can they too benefit from cord cutting? As budgets become tight, many schools are considering cutting their TV bills. However, they are still looking for ways to bring video into the classroom as a teaching tool. The problem is most streaming services don’t include legal rights to stream their content into a classroom. Technically, showing Netflix or Sling TV in a classroom breaks the terms of service as it does not include an additional fee for a public display license. Streaming Netflix or Sling TV content into classrooms will raise the risk of future legal action. You'll be glad to learn that there are several streaming services, both free and subscription-based, that can help make learning more fun. Let's look at a few of our favorite options built especially with classroom learning in mind.

OpenEd

OpenED is a great source that filters out the best of PBS, YouTube, National Geographic and many others for videos by grade, subject and topic. With thousands of educational videos, on everything from astrology to zoology, they help teachers dive into a plethora of specific subjects. An additional benefit is that all of OpenEd’s assessments, videos, games and homework are aligned to current educational standards. The site even encourages teachers to rate the videos on their effectiveness. This helps other teachers know how the videos have worked in the classroom.

Discovery Education

The Discovery Channel has always been a great help in the classroom. Now, they have a streaming service just for schools called Discovery Education. With over 87,000 videos and 27,500 learning guides, along with a huge library of images, sound effects, podcasts and even quizzes to take advantage of, Discovery Education is an exceptional option for schools.

While other services focus on offering videos teachers can build into their lesson plans, Discovery Education offers everything from the videos to the handouts that go with them.

ABC Mouse

Looking for a service that not only offers videos but also testing and easy-to-track results? ABC Mouse, best known for their at-home version for kids, now has a version that is 100 percent free for schools. It is designed for preschool through second grade and helps schools teach literacy, math, science, social studies, art and music. The best part about these services is how they focus exclusively on educational programming for students. Streaming services like these eliminate the need for schools to pay for an expensive TV package with hopes to get access to just a few learning channels. If you're looking for even more educational programming for cord cutters, we've got you covered. Does your child have a favorite educational streaming service? Let us know in the comments below.